GM's OnStar boosted by Google technology

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- General Motors Co. confirmed Tuesday it will bolster its in-car safety and navigation service with Google Inc. technology to enhance the connected experience in the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.

"While OnStar will never lose sight of our core focus on safety and security, this relationship is an example of how we're evolving our leadership position in connected vehicle technology," OnStar President Chris Preuss said. "What we're talking about today is only the beginning."

For starters, a new navigation tab has been added to the home screen of the existing Volt app that, when pressed, will show the current location of the vehicle on Google Maps. Drivers can then search destinations by voice command and send directions from the phone to the car.

Other features of the application, which were debuted earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, include the ability to receive email or text notifications from the car and a display showing mileage readings and battery life.

Drivers using the app can also set the vehicle's interior temperature ahead of time and manually set grid-friendly schedules for charging.

GM's move to tap Google is the latest attempt by a major auto maker to get a leg up on the competition when it comes to in-car technology.

Ford's Sync system, created with Microsoft and launched in 2007, has a big lead, having already been installed on more than 2 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. In March, Ford announced another deal with the software king that, much like GM/Google app, will help minimize the impact on the power grid. Read more about Ford and Microsoft teaming up.

GM is slated to showcase the new functionalities of the mobile app, which comes free with an OnStar subscription, to the public this week at the Google I/O conference in downtown San Francisco.

The plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt is expected to be launched later this year and is seen as a key component to GM's drawn out recovery.

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